Preliminary Talks Held With Shell, Exxon, BP, Others

LONDON—Somalia's central government is in talks with some of the world's biggest energy companies in an attempt to restart oil exploration in the war-torn country, an adviser to the government said Monday.

Somali officials have discussed having Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., BP PLC, ConocoPhillips, Eni SpA and Chevron Corp. return to the East African nation after more than two decades of violence drove major oil producers...